Press Releases

Historic board gets funds for review of old barns
Golden News
12-11-03

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The Golden Historic Preservation Board has undertaken the monumental task of saving three historic masonry barns on state property from demolition.

The group got one step closer to its goal Dec. 4 when the Golden City Council approved $7,000 for additional costs that will be incurred if demolition is delayed while a historic assessment takes place. Weighing heavily on the council’s decision was the fact that the Colorado Historical Society quickly granted $10,000 for the assessment to occur after learning of the barns at a Nov. 17 meeting at Gov. Bill Owens’ office.

HPB went to Owens’ with its case to save the historic masonry barns built in the early 1900s by boys attending the Lookout Mountain school, which is now a youth detention center. They are a unique example of the particular style of architecture, but are in danger of being destroyed.

The barns sit just inside the perimeter fence of the Lookout Mountain Youth Services Center, and the school wants them removed because they are a security concern. To further complicate the matter, the city of Golden entered an agreement with the state to remove the buildings, among other improvements, as part of a trade for land at Fossil Trace Golf Club. City staff said they didn’t know the historical significance of the buildings at the time.

When HPB found out what buildings were to be torn down, they asked the City Council to stop the razing of the barns. The council approved the contract to demolish the buildings, saying it was reluctantly obligated because of the contract with the state, but later gave the board additional time to try to save the structures.

The council’s 4-2 decision Dec. 4 will take $7,000 from the city’s general fund contingency budget to pay for a delay of the demolition until the historical assessment is completed. The study will help determine if the buildings are structurally sound, if they could withstand a move and if they could be used for other purposes.

Councilmen Bob Nelson and Dave Shuey voted against approving the funds, and Councilwoman Marcie Miller was absent from the vote, but strongly supports the preservation efforts. Nelson said the buildings are structurally defunct and could not be saved. Shuey said he didn’t see why the city should pay for a delay in what he sees as the inevitable demolition of the buildings.

“I’m afraid the $7,000 you spent tonight may end up costing you a million,” Shuey said, indicating that if the assessment shows the barns can be saved, HPB will likely be back before City Council asking for preservation funds. Shuey said the city should be spending its money on the historic museums it already has — which it denied additional funding to the same night — not new ones.

Sen. Maryanne “Moe” Keller, D-Wheat Ridge, who attended the meeting at the governor’s office, said she encourages the preservation effort, despite its challenges.

“We had a great discussion. Everybody wants to do the right thing. Some of the problems were acknowledged, but there were some very good suggestions for what we could do,” Keller said. “I personally thought that we’ve got a challenge here. But we gave it a good shot and certainly had consensus that it was worth looking at. It’s a matter of what it will cost and whether we are precluding the option for the school to expand.”

Keller said the school is very concerned that it will not be able to expand its facilities if the barns are used for a public purpose. The school also said that using the buildings for classrooms would be impossible due to infrastructure safety issues — for example, the school said it could not install suicide-proof doors and windows in the historic buildings without damaging the integrity of the buildings.

The state historian indicated that relocating the structures would destroy their integrity and the possibility that they could achieve National Historic Register designation.

HPB member Steve Stevens, who has spearheaded the preservation effort, said the board recognizes that it must come up with a feasible and affordable way for the school to use the buildings in order to save them. He said the school is not interested in any uses for the barns that bring the public anywhere near the facility because of security risks.

Stevens said that HPB selected Peter Ewers, a Golden architect with historic preservation expertise and member of the Golden Pioneer Museum and Golden Landmarks Association boards, to be the prime contractor on the assessment of the barns. HPB did not put the project out for bid because of the short time frame they were given to delay the demolition and conduct the study.

HPB continues to look for other options to save the barns. Those with ideas are asked to contact Stevens at oldbike2@attbi.com or 303-271-1998.

Keller said she and Rep. Ramey Johnson, R-Lakewood, would continue to lend support in any way possible.

“I love history and preservation, and have always supported it. Golden is special because it has so much history. It was the territorial capital and has a special place in our history because of that,” she said.